Gone: Andrew A. Rooney

I suspect most people who go into journalism were inspired by Woodward and Bernstein or Edward R. Murrow or Mike Wallace and the like. For me it was Andy Rooney. Getting paid to spend a couple of minutes a week talking about the absurdities of life? Sign me up.

All men are not created equal but should be treated as though they were under the law.

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.

I’m already suspicious of anyone who thinks he or she is smart enough to be president. You’d have to have some ego to believe that about yourself.

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there’s a 90 percent probability you’ll get it wrong.

Happiness depends more on how life strikes you than on what happens.

I’m always on the lookout for something good about people. Often months go by.

People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.

No matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.